A sobering experience for Wicklow as Sligo pull away for handsome victory

Wicklow 0-12

Sligo 0-18

SUNDAY was a sobering experience for Oisin McConville and Wicklow.

For 35 minutes, there was hope that, a week on from a draw in Carlow, the footballers would be able to get that first win of the campaign to launch what would, with a bit of luck, be a successful promotion bid.

For 35 minutes, the signs were there that that ambition could be made real. Kevin Quinn was busy and was putting on a point-kicking clinic, rattling off three points of pedigree from play. He was not alone. Andy Maher sparked speculation in the press box as to his training activities with a pair of eye-watering scores off the outside of his right boot, sending the ball dipping and swerving teasingly from the touchline.

Meanwhile, Mark Kenny was his guileful self, at the epicentre of offensive patterns, dropping off and spinning into space and spraying passes across Sligo’s domain to beneficial effect. At the other end of the pitch, Patrick O’Keane and Malachy Stone stood out, aggressive and proactive in the tackle.

For 35 minutes, it looked like that first win was very much on the cards.

And then, the second 35 minutes unfolded, Sligo emerging from the Aughrim dressing rooms with vigour and devastating intent. They ran up 0-12 on the scoreboard, including 0-10 from play and just two wides, their efficiency spellbinding, mercy non-existent.

The foundation of this stirring saunter was the dominance of the midfield area. Pat Spillane, quiet in the first half, took centre stage in the second with a powerful midfield performance, while Mikey Gordon did the dirty work under the breaking ball.

The result was 56 per cent of Wicklow’s kick-outs being turned over by the Yeats men.

There was an intriguing plotline lingering just underneath the surface of the Wicklow vs Sligo billing. In the home dugout was Oisin McConville; the legendary Crossmaglen Rangers clubman who was a star in the 2002 All-Ireland-winning Armagh team.

In the opposite dugout perched Tony McEntee; the legendary Crossmaglen Rangers clubman who was a star in the 2002 All-Ireland-winning Armagh team.

The major difference between the two was that, while McConville was in the fetal stages of his tenure as Wicklow manager, McEntee has been in the Sligo job since 2020. By the time the final whistle blew in Aughrim, it was McEntee who would emerge victorious over his former teammate.

Much of the first half was nip-and-tuck. Sean Carrabine opened the scoring for Sligo with a free, while the dangerous centre-forward slammed the ball against the side-netting shortly thereafter after selling a Wicklow defender with a deceptive dummy.

Nine minutes passed between that Carrabine free and Wicklow’s equaliser on 11 minutes, also from a free, from Eoin Darcy. The first of those aforementioned Andy Maher beauties came on 17 minutes as the two teams traded scores at an ever-increasing pace.

And while the away side opened up a two-point advantage through another Carrabine free on 22 minutes, the final 15 minutes of the half saw Wicklow grow in stature. This ascension was sparked by the most straightforward of scores, summing up the simplicity of a game so often hindered by tactical contrivances.

All it took was two passes. First, Mark Jackson found Mark Kenny with a wonderfully accurate kick-outs. The Ballymanus man worked the ball into Kevin Quinn, who arrowed his strike between the posts. Another Quinn point later, and Wicklow were level at four points apiece, before Jack Kirwan was withdrawn through injury for Rory Stokes.

Throw in a quick third from the Blessington forward and they had the lead for the first time.

Andy Maher maintained that lead with his second sensational point from that polished right boot, before Jackson landed a free that sent them into the break with a 0-7 to 0-6 lead.

It was a promising performance, but there was a lingering sense that they would come into difficulties by virtue of not having taken enough of an advantage of the wind and sun being at their backs.

And while Eoin D’Arcy got the second-half’s first score from a free, it did not take long for Sligo to take control and, once they did, Wicklow’s influence on the game dissipated completely.

Sligo rattled off four before Wicklow got their next score. As the half wore on, Wicklow’s energy levels dropped more and more, while Sligo grew ever more in stature. Luke Towey and Darragh Cummins were exposing the spaces being left by the increasingly ragged rearguard, allowing for their forwards to push higher up the field.

They had their chances. Pádraig O’Toole had a shot tipped onto the post by Daniel Lyons, while the same man denied Cillian McDonald a late goal with a fine fingertip save. However, aside from those fleeting moments, Sligo were by far and away the superior outfit.

WICKLOW: Mark Jackson (0-2, 2f); Tom Moran, Eoin Murtagh, Malachy Stone; Zach Cullen, Paul McLoughlin, Patrick O’Keane; Pádraig O’Toole, Jack Kirwan; Andy Maher (0-2), Dean Healy, Cathal Baker; Mark Kenny (0-3, 3f), Kevin Quinn (0-3), Eoin D’Arcy (0-2, 2f). Subs: Rory Stokes for J. Kirwan (27), Eddie Doyle for E. D’Arcy (40), Cillian McDonald for A. Maher (55), Karl Furlong for P. McLoughlin (62), Joe Prendergast for C. Baker (62),

SLIGO: Daniel Lyons; Nathan Mullen, Eddie McGuinness, Evan Lyons; Luke Towey (0-1), Darragh Cummins (0-1), Paul McNamara; Paul Kilcoyle, Pat Spillane (0-2); Cian Lally, Sean Carrabine (0-4, 2f), David Quinn (0-1); Mikey Gordon (0-1), Patrick O’Connor (0-3), Niall Murphy (0-4, 1f). Subs: Gerard O’Kelly Lynch for M. Gordon (55), Finnian Cawley for D. Quinn (60), Alan Reilly (0-1) for P. Spillane (64), Donal Conlon for P. O’Connor (70)

REFEREE: Sean Lonergan (Tipperary)